Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Steely Dan, Weather Report... All created challenging instrumental music in the Seventies, all had large, dedicated audiences and all have been the subject of Deep Focus. Add tonight's subject to that list. Guitarist/sonic architect Ben Tyree and I will put Frank Zappa in Deep Focus Monday from 6 pm to 9 pm EDT on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org in this rebroadcast from 2019. I'm amazed that no one has called for this one before! #WKCR #JazzAlternat...
Mar 15, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 226
The music I love has porous boundaries. If the audience responds to what they hear, the musicians will give that energy right back to them. If the acoustics are kind, the music will communicate better among the musicians, between musician and audience. But what about the people the artists met that day? And the food they ate and the air they breathed? Can an audience hear all of that? What about the lives people have lived in that place? The love and sacrifice that was made there? And what about...
Mar 10, 2022•59 min•Ep. 225
The music I love has porous boundaries. If the audience responds to what they hear, the musicians will give that energy right back to them. If the acoustics are kind, the music will communicate better among the musicians, between musician and audience. But what about the people the artists met that day? And the food they ate and the air they breathed? Can an audience hear all of that? What about the lives people have lived in that place? The love and sacrifice that was made there? And what about...
Mar 06, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 224
The music I love has porous boundaries. If the audience responds to what they hear, the musicians will give that energy right back to them. If the acoustics are kind, the music will communicate better among the musicians, between musician and audience. But what about the people the artists met that day? And the food they ate and the air they breathed? Can an audience hear all of that? What about the lives people have lived in that place? The love and sacrifice that was made there? And what about...
Mar 01, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 223
Rebroadcast January 31, 2022. Melville said, “Genius, all over the world, stands hand in hand, and one shock of recognition runs the whole circle round.” So, yeah, if you’re a young musician who sees the need to craft your own language but can’t yet say just what it’s going to be, you’re going to seek someone else on a similar path. If you find your way, you don’t forget having had that experience. Vijay Iyer did a Deep Focus with me on Andrew Hill and another on Thelonious Monk; this time it’s ...
Feb 27, 2022•40 min•Ep. 37
Rebroadcast January 31, 2022. Melville said, “Genius, all over the world, stands hand in hand, and one shock of recognition runs the whole circle round.” So, yeah, if you’re a young musician who sees the need to craft your own language but can’t yet say just what it’s going to be, you’re going to seek someone else on a similar path. If you find your way, you don’t forget having had that experience. Vijay Iyer did a Deep Focus with me on Andrew Hill and another on Thelonious Monk; this time it’s ...
Feb 24, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 36
Rebroadcast January 31, 2022. Melville said, “Genius, all over the world, stands hand in hand, and one shock of recognition runs the whole circle round.” So, yeah, if you’re a young musician who sees the need to craft your own language but can’t yet say just what it’s going to be, you’re going to seek someone else on a similar path. If you find your way, you don’t forget having had that experience. Vijay Iyer did a Deep Focus with me on Andrew Hill and another on Thelonious Monk; this time it’s ...
Feb 22, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 35
You know what's wrong with this country? We don't spend enough time talking about pianist Bud Powell. Well, this Monday from 6pm to 9pm on Deep Focus, Mitch Goldman and his guest, pianist David Virelles, are going to do something about that. The WKCR archives delivered live recordings so rare that they are not found in any discography. Bud's son John Powell even calls during the show saying even he had not heard them! It's only on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org . Tuesday morning it goes up ...
Feb 20, 2022•45 min•Ep. 222
You know what's wrong with this country? We don't spend enough time talking about pianist Bud Powell. Well, this Monday from 6pm to 9pm on Deep Focus, Mitch Goldman and his guest, pianist David Virelles, are going to do something about that. The WKCR archives delivered live recordings so rare that they are not found in any discography. Bud's son John Powell even calls during the show saying even he had not heard them! Roy Haynes checks in and there's even an interview with Bud you've probably ne...
Feb 17, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 221
You know what's wrong with this country? We don't spend enough time talking about pianist Bud Powell. Well, this Monday from 6pm to 9pm on Deep Focus, Mitch Goldman and his guest, pianist David Virelles, are going to do something about that. The WKCR archives delivered live recordings so rare that they are not found in any discography. Bud's son John Powell even calls during the show saying even he had not heard them! And Roy Haynes tunes in from his home in Queens. It's only on WKCR 89.9FM, WKC...
Feb 15, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 220
The hand and the drum: after the human voice, probably the original musical instrument. But the question tonight on Deep Focus is its possibilities for modern improvisation, outside of the bounds of the Afro-Cuban tradition. It is possible that no one has dived deeper on this question than Adam Rudolph: Big Black with Randy Weston provides an answer, Mtume and Don Alias with Miles Davis have another. We lost Mtume last week so it's a fitting time to celebrate his music, as we do in this Deep Foc...
Jan 27, 2022•51 min•Ep. 219
The hand and the drum: after the human voice, probably the original musical instrument. But the question tonight on Deep Focus is its possibilities for modern improvisation, outside of the bounds of the Afro-Cuban tradition. It is possible that no one has dived deeper on this question than Adam Rudolph: Big Black with Randy Weston provides an answer, Mtume and Don Alias with Miles Davis have another. We lost Mtume last week so it's a fitting time to celebrate his music, as we do in this Deep Foc...
Jan 23, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 218
The hand and the drum: after the human voice, probably the original musical instrument. But the question tonight on Deep Focus is its possibilities for modern improvisation, outside of the bounds of the Afro-Cuban tradition. It is possible that no one has dived deeper on this question than Adam Rudolph: Big Black with Randy Weston has an answer, Mtume and Don Alias with Miles Davis provide another. We lost Mtume last week so it's a fitting time to celebrate his music, as we do in this Deep Focus...
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 217
Melvin Gibbs is hearing things that I am not hearing yet. I know this from the choices he makes as a bassist, his work as a composer and especially what he does leading bands like Harriet Tubman, his collaboration with Brandon Ross and JT Lewis. So what is he hearing in the music of one of my favorite bands, the Art Ensemble of Chicago? Is it the knowing improvisation? the distinctive sonorities of the compositions? maybe the theatricality? the posts, slants and buttonhooks of their fast and far...
Jan 13, 2022•35 min•Ep. 26
Melvin Gibbs is hearing things that I am not hearing yet. I know this from the choices he makes as a bassist, his work as a composer and especially what he does leading bands like Harriet Tubman, his collaboration with Brandon Ross and JT Lewis. So what is he hearing in the music of one of my favorite bands, the Art Ensemble of Chicago? Is it the knowing improvisation? the distinctive sonorities of the compositions? maybe the theatricality? the posts, slants and buttonhooks of their fast and far...
Jan 09, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 25
Melvin Gibbs is hearing things that I am not hearing yet. I know this from the choices he makes as a bassist, his work as a composer and especially what he does leading bands like Harriet Tubman, his collaboration with Brandon Ross and JT Lewis. So what is he hearing in the music of one of my favorite bands, the Art Ensemble of Chicago? Is it the knowing improvisation? the distinctive sonorities of the compositions? maybe the theatricality? the posts, slants and buttonhooks of their fast and far...
Jan 02, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 24
Let's keep the dance alive! The previous episodes of Deep Focus had us listening to live recordings of The Art Ensemble of Chicago with percussionist Daniel Sadownick. Let's take another view of them (with yet more live, unreleased recordings) with percussionist/bandleader Adam Rudolph. Adam grew up around the members of The Art Ensemble on the South Side of Chicago. Who knew?! Deep Focus is Monday nights from 6pm to 9pm on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org. Tuesday mornings it goes up on the ...
Dec 23, 2021•29 min•Ep. 216
Let's keep the dance alive! The previous episodes of Deep Focus had us listening to live recordings of The Art Ensemble of Chicago with percussionist Daniel Sadownick. Let's take another view of them (with yet more live, unreleased recordings) with percussionist/bandleader Adam Rudolph. Adam grew up around the members of The Art Ensemble on the South Side of Chicago. Who knew?! Deep Focus is Monday nights from 6pm to 9pm on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org. Tuesday mornings it goes up on the ...
Dec 18, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 215
Let's keep the dance alive! The previous episodes of Deep Focus had us listening to live recordings of The Art Ensemble of Chicago with percussionist Daniel Sadownick. Let's take another view of them (with yet more live, unreleased recordings) with percussionist/bandleader Adam Rudolph. Adam grew up around the members of The Art Ensemble on the South Side of Chicago. Who knew?! Deep Focus is Monday nights from 6pm to 9pm on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org. Tuesday mornings it goes up on the ...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 214
What is the Art Ensemble of Chicago? Are they a band or are they an omen, a signpost marking a new direction down an unexplored road. Are those stage costumes or is that battle gear? What are they seeing when they start their concerts silently facing east? What is this language that they communicate in? What are they saying to one other? What are they saying to ME? These questions gripped Daniel Sadownick when he was a young, aspiring musician from the Bronx trying to make it in Manhattan. He ha...
Dec 09, 2021•55 min•Ep. 213
